Throughout history camels have traversed continents, carrying fabrics, spices, incense and herbs.
The pack animals which thrive in desert conditions can travel over rough terrain and through extreme heat and dust, with limited water.
Their ability to do so while carrying heavy loads earned them the nickname: ‘The Ships of the Desert.’
Today in the Horn of Africa, caravans of camels are transporting a different type of precious cargo.
Bibles.
CHALLENGE TO GET GOSPEL TO THE CAMEL HERDERS
In the deserts of Somalia, there are nomads whose lives centre around camels, selling their milk, meat and hide.
Reverend Aaden, a leader of one of Operation Mobilisation’s partner ministries in the Horn of Africa observed: “They treasure camels very much. Somalia has a lot of camels.”
The nomadic camel herders are also one of the most neglected communities in terms of being reached with the Gospel.
This is because they travel throughout the Horn, following the recent rains in order to graze their camels.
Since there is no set pattern to their travels, it is almost impossible to find a specific group of herders a second time.
“Even local Somali believers don’t know how to reach them,” explained Rev. Aaden.
MINISTRY CENTRED ON A CAMEL LIBRARY
But they came up with a solution to reach the camel herders with the Gospel.
Load the camels up with Bibles and both Christian and secular books in boxes — so they became a mobile library that travelled with the herders.
That library helped Somali missionaries teach the mostly illiterate herders how to read and write because then they’d become more likely to follow Jesus.
Operation World claims Somalia is the seventh-fastest-growing Church on Earth.
A PASSION TO TELL SOMALIS ABOUT JESUS
Rev. Aaden who has been a Somali follower of Jesus since he was 18, has been sharing the love of Jesus in the Horn of Africa for 27 years.
“I am especially passionate about nomadic, Muslim, camel-herding communities, because the ministry is effective.”
“The herders like the visiting libraries, which contain secular books with good values.”
“While our camel evangelists are teaching, they are also figuring out if someone is open to hearing the Gospel.”
NOMADS WEIGH UP THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS
“It’s amazing how the nomads respond as they consider the cost,” observed Aaden.
“They ask things like: ‘If I follow Jesus, could I lose everything? Who would marry my daughter if I became a Christian?’ ‘If I follow Jesus, do I need to be sedentary? Or can I also still follow my camels?’
“We say that you can still follow Jesus and be a nomad.”
“In fact, a nomad makes a great evangelist, because they are always on the move and live sustainably: camels produce well so numbers increase annually, and they can sell milk to survive.”
HISTORY OF CAMEL LIBRARIES TO SHARE GOSPEL
While camel libraries as tools for sharing the Gospel are a recent ministry, they are not a new concept.
They have been used in Ethiopia, Kenya and Pakistan for decades.
British missionary Dr. Malcolm Hunter asked a camel herder in the 1970s: “What would it take for a camel herder to follow Jesus?”
The herder replied: “When you can put the church on the back of a camel.”
FIRST SOMALI CAMEL LIBRARY
Fifteen years ago, a group of Somali believers set out to do just that.
They purchased camels, trained Jesus followers to specifically go to the nomadic herding community and sent them off.
Those believers carried solar-powered smartphones loaded with Bible study materials.
Since then, at least 10-15 camel herders have decided to follow Jesus,” according to Rev. Aaden.
“But it could be more now, as all of our records are a year old due to the nature of nomadic communities.”
AMBITIOUS GOAL FOR CAMEL MINISTRY
The ministry behind the camel libraries is partnering with Operation Mobilisation to purchase both camels and library books.
“This is the backbone of the ministry,” explained Aaden.
“We are praying and working expectantly for half a million adult Somalis to follow Jesus in the next nine years.”
AIMING TO HAVE HALF A MILLION MORE SOMALIS FOLLOWING JESUS BY 2035
“We want to train 500 believers who will each train 10 others.”
“That will make 5,000 adult believers trained to share the Gospel with camel herders.”
“Then we are praying each one will lead 100 adults to follow Jesus by 2035.”
“The Gospel is on the move in the Horn of Africa — carried on the backs of camels.”
LIBRARY CAMELS WILL BE HONOURED
The library camels will not be sold, killed or eaten.
“We will retire them with honour. If one breaks its leg, we will care for it,” said Aaden.
“These will be the first camels in the Horn of Africa with a pension and retirement plan, because so many people will come to the Lord through them.”
“We will treat them with honour, dignity and gratitude.”
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